+
Coal Ministry Advisor Reviews India UCG Pilot At Kasta
COAL & MINING

Coal Ministry Advisor Reviews India UCG Pilot At Kasta

Union Ministry of Coal advisor B. Veera Reddy visited the Underground coal gasification (UCG) pilot research and development (R&D) project at Kasta in Jharkhand. The project is managed by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and is India’s first underground coal gasification pilot.

Reddy was received by senior ECL executives and inspected the site to assess implementation progress. Senior management and technical representatives from Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc. (EETI), Canada, provided a briefing on the pilot plant’s functional units.

The Kasta West development spans the Raniganj and Pandaveswar areas across the West Bengal–Jharkhand border. The venture is a strategic R&D initiative funded directly by the Coal India Limited (CIL) R&D Board as a targeted research scheme rather than via commercial surface gasification incentives. Exact capital costs have not been publicly itemised.

The project is led jointly by ECL and the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), Ranchi, with technical support from EETI. It is structured as a two-year, two-phase programme to establish technical feasibility and achieve pilot-scale in situ syngas production. Following exploratory drilling on 22 June 2024, trial work is nearing completion and the initiative will move to initial commercial evaluation.

ECL is advancing a surface gasification project at Sonepur Bazari in West Bengal that is expected to be operational in about a year; the joint venture with CIL and GAIL is estimated at Rs 130,528 mn to produce synthetic natural gas. The company has been awarded India’s first underground coal gasification project by the Ministry of Coal and commercial production from the pilot is projected to start within a couple of months. These efforts support the National Coal Gasification Mission, which aims to achieve 100 mn t of coal and lignite gasification by 2030, and the Union Cabinet has approved a financial incentive framework of Rs 375,000 mn for surface projects.

Union Ministry of Coal advisor B. Veera Reddy visited the Underground coal gasification (UCG) pilot research and development (R&D) project at Kasta in Jharkhand. The project is managed by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and is India’s first underground coal gasification pilot. Reddy was received by senior ECL executives and inspected the site to assess implementation progress. Senior management and technical representatives from Ergo Exergy Technologies Inc. (EETI), Canada, provided a briefing on the pilot plant’s functional units. The Kasta West development spans the Raniganj and Pandaveswar areas across the West Bengal–Jharkhand border. The venture is a strategic R&D initiative funded directly by the Coal India Limited (CIL) R&D Board as a targeted research scheme rather than via commercial surface gasification incentives. Exact capital costs have not been publicly itemised. The project is led jointly by ECL and the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), Ranchi, with technical support from EETI. It is structured as a two-year, two-phase programme to establish technical feasibility and achieve pilot-scale in situ syngas production. Following exploratory drilling on 22 June 2024, trial work is nearing completion and the initiative will move to initial commercial evaluation. ECL is advancing a surface gasification project at Sonepur Bazari in West Bengal that is expected to be operational in about a year; the joint venture with CIL and GAIL is estimated at Rs 130,528 mn to produce synthetic natural gas. The company has been awarded India’s first underground coal gasification project by the Ministry of Coal and commercial production from the pilot is projected to start within a couple of months. These efforts support the National Coal Gasification Mission, which aims to achieve 100 mn t of coal and lignite gasification by 2030, and the Union Cabinet has approved a financial incentive framework of Rs 375,000 mn for surface projects.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

MMRDA Targets Completion of Projects by December 2028

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is targeting the completion of all its ongoing infrastructure projects by December 2028, a year ahead of its December 2029 deadline, Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee has said.Speaking at the sixth edition of the Real Estate & Infrastructure Investors' Summit (REIIS) 2026 in Mumbai, Mukherjee said the authority was developing an integrated network of roads, tunnels, sea links and Metro corridors under its broader vision of “Mumbai in 59 Minutes”.The objective is to improve east-west and north-south connectivity an..

Next Story
Building Material

High-Performance Façades Gain Ground in Indian Buildings

High-performance façades are gaining greater importance in Indian architecture as developers and architects increasingly focus on energy efficiency, thermal comfort and building performance, according to Shankar Fenestrations & Glasses.The company said modern façade systems are increasingly being considered as part of a building's overall performance strategy rather than being used primarily as aesthetic elements.High-performance glass, curtain wall systems and structural glazing can contribute to thermal regulation, solar control, daylight management and indoor comfort. Their growing ad..

Next Story
Technology

SPML Infra's 104.4 kWh BESS Battery Pack Clears Global Tests

SPML Infra has announced that its proprietary 104.4 kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) battery pack has completed key international safety, performance and transportation testing and certification requirements, marking a step towards its commercial deployment.Developed under the company's own intellectual property, the battery pack has completed requirements under UL9540A, IEC 62619, IEC 63056, IEC 60730, IEC 61000-6-2, IEC 61000-6-4 and UN38.3 standards.The testing covers areas including thermal runaway safety, battery performance, system functional safety, electromagnetic compatibility..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code